Bagged nose-fused HE rounds.
Incendiary shrapnel, illuminating, and antisubmarine rounds were also
available.

Projectile weight

50.7 lbs
23 kg

Velocity

3002 feet per second
915 meters per second

Maximum
elevation

55 degrees

Range

20,100 yards
18,400 meters

Firing
cycle

6-12 seconds

The 5"/50 dual-purpose gun was the standard
Japanese destroyer armament
throughout the war. It was a
powerful surface weapon, outranging the U.S. 5"/38 dual-purpose gun by
4000
yards, but
its rate of traverse was so slow that, while it was equipped with
antiaircraft
shells and directors, it was almost useless against modern aircraft.

An updated model with genuine antiaircraft
capability never got beyond the prototype stage.